http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/government_and_elections This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Government and Elections en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090011 On numerous May 8 programs, Fox News anchors and reporters promoted the notion that Sen. John McCain is reluctant to discuss his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. In fact, as Media <em>Matters for America</em> has documented, McCain has repeatedly highlighted that experience. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090011 Fri, 9 May 2008 19:36:15 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090009 CNN's Wolf Blitzer did not challenge Mitt Romney's false suggestion that during the Republican presidential primary campaign he had not attacked Sen. John McCain's lack of accomplishment "in the world of business." In fact, during the primary campaign, CNN had aired a clip of Romney saying, "I think, at a time like this, it makes sense to have a president who's actually had a job in the real economy." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090009 Fri, 9 May 2008 18:21:45 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090007 Reuters reported that Sen. John McCain's campaign "is preparing to take $84 million in public funding after the Republican Party convention in September and he is challenging [Sen. Barack] Obama to stick by last year's pledge to use public money and its accompanying spending limits," but did not note that Federal Election Commission chairman David Mason has taken the position that McCain cannot opt out of public financing in the primary without FEC approval, as McCain has attempted to do, or that McCain could be breaking federal laws by exceeding spending limits within the public financing system for the primary. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090007 Fri, 9 May 2008 15:50:02 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090005 Referring to comments Sen. Barack Obama made during a CNN interview, Fox News' Julie Banderas stated that Obama "made what some are calling a dig at John McCain's age." But Banderas did not provide the full context of Obama's remark, nor did she note that Obama was responding to a smear by McCain. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090005 Fri, 9 May 2008 14:48:19 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090004 A <em>Wall Street Journal</em> article reported that "Sen. [Barack] Obama suggested Sen. [John] McCain was 'losing his bearings,' " and noted the response of a McCain adviser, who "called it a 'not particularly clever way of raising John McCain's age as an issue.' " But the <em>Journal</em> did not note the context of Obama's remark, which he made after accusing McCain of violating his pledge to avoid negative campaigning, and it did not report an Obama spokesman's denial that Obama was referring to McCain's age. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090004 Fri, 9 May 2008 14:41:31 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080011 During an interview, <em>Today</em> co-host Ann Curry asked Cindy McCain about her refusal to release her tax returns, but did not challenge McCain's refusal by noting that John McCain's campaign has benefited financially from her wealth, and without noting that McCain supports the permanent extension of President Bush's tax cuts, from which those with capital gains -- something that would be indicated on Cindy McCain's tax returns -- benefit significantly. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080011 Thu, 8 May 2008 19:50:44 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080010 On <em>Special Report</em>, Juan Williams cited Sen. John McCain's record on immigration as evidence of a willingness to "work[] across party lines," without noting that McCain has said he no longer supports his own bipartisan bill. Williams then claimed that Sen. Barack Obama "doesn't have a record" of "working across party lines." In fact, Obama has co-sponsored bills with Republican Sens. Tom Coburn and Richard Lugar that have been signed into law. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080010 Thu, 8 May 2008 18:55:23 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080008 On MSNBC, Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, Dan Abrams, and Rachel Maddow discussed how the media, in Matthews' words, "completely ignore [Sen.] John McCain's problems." But in purporting to explain "the way the media works," Matthews suggested that it is not possible for the media to cover both the Democratic primary and McCain adequately, asserting: "[A]s long as we focus on the fight between Hillary and Barack, and perhaps more recently just on Barack's problems, it blocks the sun -- the media, the public's attention -- from the problems that are obviously incipient and coming to be at some point with McCain." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080008 Thu, 8 May 2008 18:00:30 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080007 On <em>The Live Desk</em>, Martha MacCallum did not challenge the false assertion by Christine O'Donnell, 2008 GOP Senate candidate in Delaware, that Sen. Barack Obama "and my opponent [Sen. Joe] Biden are pushing for this global tax that would require America to pay tax to the U.N." In fact, the Global Poverty Act, a bill introduced by Obama, would not "require America to pay tax to the U.N.," and it would not commit the United States to any targeted level of spending. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080007 Thu, 8 May 2008 15:59:50 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080006 In an online article, the <em>Detroit Free Press</em> reported of Sen. John McCain's May 6 town hall meeting at Oakland University: "As usual, McCain was candid and said things like fuel efficiency standards have to increase and the way to make the domestic automotive industry more competitive is to get other costs, like health care for autoworkers, under control." While the media routinely refer to McCain as a straight-talker who resists pandering,<em> Media Matters for America</em> has identified numerous instances in which McCain has promulgated falsehoods about himself and his opponents. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080006 Thu, 8 May 2008 15:49:39 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080004 NBC's Ann Curry did not challenge Cindy McCain, Sen. John McCain's wife, when she claimed, "You won't see [negative stuff] come out of our side at all," and asserted, "My husband is absolutely opposed to any negative campaigning at all." In fact, John McCain has a history of negative campaigning and has promulgated numerous falsehoods about his opponents during the 2008 presidential campaign. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080004 Thu, 8 May 2008 14:29:49 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080002 In addition to a May 7 <em>Washington Times</em> article previously identified by <em>Media Matters</em>, May 6 reports in the <em>Los Angeles Times </em>and on washingtonpost.com and <em>The Baltimore Sun</em>'s website quoted an Indiana man saying that Sen. Barack Obama is "a Muslim" without noting that the assertion was false. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080002 Thu, 8 May 2008 12:54:59 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080001 In his column, George F. Will claimed that "Hillary Clinton, 60, Illinois native and Arkansas lawyer, became, retroactively, a lifelong Yankee fan at age 52, when, shopping for a U.S. Senate seat, she adopted New York state as home sweet home." However, the idea that Clinton proclaimed herself a Yankees fan "retroactively" is a myth commonly repeated in the media and contradicted by the evidence. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080001 Thu, 8 May 2008 12:40:39 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805070007 A<em> Las Vegas Review-Journal</em> editorial asserted that Sen. John McCain "did have a valid point" when he said, "The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects." The editorial praised McCain for issuing a "bold position ... with no immediate 'clarification' from the staff, explaining that the senator somehow 'misspoke.' How refreshing." But the AP reported that McCain "backed off his assertion that pork-barrel spending led to last year's deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis" a day after saying it. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805070007 Wed, 7 May 2008 18:06:59 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805070006 CNN hosted Republican advertising consultant Alex Castellanos -- creator of racially charged advertisements for former Sen. Jesse Helms -- who echoed the myth invoked by the Bush administration that there was a link between the September 11 attacks, perpetrated by Al Qaeda, and Saddam Hussein's Iraq. In fact, the 9-11 Commission report stated: "We have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805070006 Wed, 7 May 2008 17:56:30 EST